From El Mendaro, Madison Co., K.T., F. M. Cummins wrote to Wood regarding the latter's candidacy for the territorial legislature in the election of November 8, 1859. He asked Wood to clarify his position on general issues concerning loyalty to Republican principles and a boundary issue that had negatively affected Madison County. (The 23rd District included Madison, Chase, and Morris counties; Wood ultimately lost this election to T. S. Huffaker, the Democratic nominee, but defeated a third candidate, S. G. Britton, who was mentioned as the local favorite by Cummins. A month later, Wood won a seat in the state senate under the Wyandotte Constitution.)

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